How Many People Really Want A Dog?

Or would a fluffy stuffed toy suffice?

(Reprinted with permission from author)

I am constantly amazed at how many people buy dogs but know nothing about them, they don't know when to worm them, when to vaccinate them, what to feed them, how to housebreak them, how to train them and their knowledge of how dogs behave and what makes them tick is virtually nonexistent. The puppy forum is always full of comments from outraged owners utterly disgusted because their dog ate the cat's poo, vomited its food and ate it again or, and this is a classic, 'had its lipstick out and was licking it'. Oh horror of horrors!!

Then you get the posts from people who want a dog, but they don't want it to shed, they don't want it to bark, they don't want it to jump on the kids or dig holes in the backyard, they don't want to exercise it and they want a dog that 'doesn't need a lot of training' or 'is easily trained' and which is happy to spend 10 hours a day on its own just sitting in the garden without causing any trouble at all.

I'd just like to put in a word for the dogs, dogs are animals and they have normal instinctive animal behaviours and needs, dogs bark, they dig, they shed hair, they eat poo from just about any other species and some dogs eat their own, they lick their penises and vulvas and they don't care who's there when they do it, they eat their own vomit and they'll roll in anything dead or evil smelling and let's face it they're also highly promiscuous and will even have sex in public. Dogs are also predators with sharp teeth designed to rip and tear flesh and grind bones and yes dogs will hunt and chase and sometimes kill other animals. All these things are perfectly normal and natural if you are a dog and part of the reason why so many dogs are surrendered is because people don't know these things and even if they do they can't accept them.

After 'dog' and 'puppy' I think 'cute' is the most frequently used word on this forum, people want this breed because it looks cute, they want a puppy because it's cute, this dog's cute and that dog's cute and yes they are 'cute', but there is so much more to a dog than cuteness and cuteness in a puppy is soon outgrown. Dogs that grow up without training will simply behave as dogs do, they have no inbuilt sense of right and wrong, they are not trying to be naughty or 'bad'. The majority of them are just being dogs and of course a lot of their behaviour will be unacceptable, but how are they to know any better if no one takes the trouble to train them? I sometimes think that people really want a small human in a furry suit and they seem to treat the dog accordingly. Treating a dog like a human and expecting it to behave like a human is cruel and unfair and an insult to an entirely different species and in my opinion the vast majority of problems in dogs are caused by humans who can't or won't see the difference.

Just a little vent caused by a few recent threads and the high expectations some people put on dogs and the moral judgments which are passed upon them. Dogs are animals first and foremost and until we respect them for what they are and realise their limitations there will always be gross misunderstandings between humans and dogs and sometimes tragic consequences.

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Ten Commandments for Dog Owners

1. My life is likely to last ten to fifteen years. Any separation from you
    will be painful for me. Remember that before you buy me.

2. Give me time to understand what you want of me.

3. Place your trust in me--it's crucial to my well-being.

4. Don't be angry at me for long and don't lock me up as punishment. You
    have your work, your entertainment and your friends. I have only you.

5. Be aware that no matter how you treat me, I'll never forget it.

6. Talk to me sometimes. Even if I don't understand your words, I
    understand your voice when it's speaking to me.

7. Before you hit me, remember that I have teeth that could easily crush
    the bones in your hand, but I choose not to bite you.

8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if
    something might be bothering me. Perhaps I'm not getting the right food,
    I've been out in the sun too long or my heart may be getting old and weak.

9. Take care of me when I get old. You, too, will grow old.

10. Go with me on difficult journeys. Never say, "I can't bear to watch
      it," or "Let it happen in my absence." Everything is easier for me if you
      are there. Remember, I love you.

He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog.

You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the
last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion."

(Author Unknown)

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 WHAT IS A BREEDER?

A Breeder (with a capital B) is one who thirsts for knowledge and never really knows it all, one who wrestles with decisions of conscience, convenience, and commitment.

A Breeder is one who sacrifices personal interests, finances, time, friendships, fancy furniture, and deep pile carpeting! She gives up the dreams of a long, luxurious cruise in favor of turning that all important show into this years "vacation."

A Breeder goes without sleep (but never without coffee!) in hours spent planning a breeding or watching anxiously over the birth process, and afterwards, over every little sneeze, wiggle or cry.

A Breeder skips dinner parties because that litter is due or the babies have to be fed at eight.

A Breeder's lap is a marvelous place where generations of proud and noble champions once snoozed.
A Breeder's hands are strong and firm and often soiled, but ever so gentle and sensitive to the thrusts of a puppy's wet nose.

A Breeder's back and knees are usually arthritic from stooping, bending, and sitting in the birthing box, but are strong enough to enable the breeder to show the next choice pup to a Championship.

A Breeder's shoulders are stooped and often heaped with abuse from competitors, but they're wide enough to support the weight of a thousand defeats and frustrations.

A Breeder's arms are always able to wield a mop, support an armful of puppies, or lend a helping hand to a newcomer.

A Breeder's ears are wondrous things, sometimes red (from being talked about) or strangely shaped (from being pressed against a phone receiver), often deaf to criticism, yet always fine-tuned to the whimper of a sick puppy.

A Breeder's eyes are blurred from pedigree research and sometimes blind to her own dog's faults, but they are ever so keen to the competitions faults and are always searching for the perfect specimen.

A Breeder's brain is foggy on faces, but it can recall pedigrees faster than an IBM computer. It's so full of knowledge that sometimes it blows a fuse: it catalogues thousands of good bonings, fine ears, and perfect heads... and buries in the soul the failures and the ones that didn't turn out.

A Breeder's heart is often broken, but it beats strongly with hope everlasting... and it's always in the right place!

Oh, yes, there are breeders, and then, there are BREEDERS!!

-Author unknown